References on a resume: should you include them in 2026?
Leave references off the resume. Here is what an ATS extracts, when employers actually request referees, and what to put in the space you free up.
Jordan Reyes · · 10 minCareers Editor
Jordan Reyes
Jordan writes the resume, cover letter and interview guides - the parts of the search that happen before anyone presses Apply. Every example comes from a real job title.
Jordan Reyes · · 10 min
The thank-you email after an interview: four lines that work
Send it within a day, keep it to four lines, and spend one of them on the answer you fumbled. Here is the structure, line by line, with an example.
Jordan Reyes · · 9 min
What are your salary expectations? How to answer with a number
Give one number anchored to the BLS median for the industry you are applying into - not the occupation median. Here is how to pick it and say it.
Jordan Reyes · · 8 min
Short cover letter examples: 120 words that do the job
Two complete cover letters under 120 words - Bookkeeper and UX Designer - with the public task list every sentence was built from, and the lines to cut first.
Jordan Reyes · · 9 min
PDF ou document Word ? Quels formats les systèmes de gestion des candidatures acceptent-ils en 2026
Les deux sont pris en compte. Voici ce que disent Greenhouse, Workday, SmartRecruiters et Ashby concernant les formats acceptés, les limites de taille qui bloquent les téléchargements, et quel fichier envoyer.
Jordan Reyes · · 9 min
Phone screen interview questions and what they actually decide
A phone screen is a routing decision, not a hiring one. Here are the questions, what each one resolves, and the two that quietly end it.
Jordan Reyes · · 9 min
How long should a resume be with 10+ years of experience?
Two pages, and no applicant tracking system says otherwise. What the vendors actually limit, what belongs on page two, and what to cut.
Jordan Reyes · · 10 min
The federal resume format in 2026: what USAJOBS requires
Federal agencies now cap resumes at two pages. Here is what USAJOBS requires on the page, what OPM checks, and how it differs from a commercial resume.
Jordan Reyes · · 9 min
What is your greatest weakness? A true answer, by role
Name a weakness the job does not depend on, say what it costs you, then say what you do about it. With O*NET work style scores for two roles.
Jordan Reyes · · 9 min
How to end a cover letter (and the sign-off to skip)
The closing paragraph has one job - point at the next thing. Here are the four lines that belong in it, the sign-off to use, and the sentence to delete.
Jordan Reyes · · 10 min
Second interview questions: what changed since the first
The second interview stops testing whether you could do the job and starts testing how you would do theirs. Here are the questions that follow, and why.
Jordan Reyes · · 9 min
Comment afficher une promotion sur un CV sans paraître avoir deux emplois
Stacker les deux titres sous un même bloc entreprise, chacun avec ses propres dates. Voici le format exact, pourquoi le parser en a besoin, et la version qui échoue.
Jordan Reyes · · 9 minLe meilleur du blog, une fois par semaine
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